Anointing of the Sick

If you or a family member are in a local hospital or are homebound and would like a visit from a minister of care or a priest, please call our Director of Human Concerns, Mary Ellen Johnston at 847-382-2148, mejohnston@stannebarrington.org.

THE SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK

In order to make the Sacrament of Healing more available to those who wish to be anointed, it will be offered every Friday after the 8:15 AM daily Mass.

During the celebration of the sacrament, a person is anointed to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an emotional, physical, or psychological illness. In the sacrament, we pray that the sick be healed in body, in soul and in spirit. God alone knows what kind of healing the sick need most: that a wound be healed; that a fear turn to confidence; that loneliness be embraced by the support of a praying community; that confusion in the face of all the whys—why me, why suffering, why now—turn to insight. The Sacrament of Anointing does not remove the mystery of human suffering. Yet its celebration gives us a window into the mystery of our loving God.

If you or a loved one would like to receive this Sacrament after Mass, please sit in the first row on the left near the statue of the Blessed Mother. There is no need for further notification.

If you or a loved one have mobility problems which make it difficult to attend Mass, call the Rectory at 847.382.5300 to arrange a visit by one of our priests. For more information, call Mary Ellen Johnston at 847-382-2148.

As your pastor, may I offer you some pastoral counsel … If you have a loved one in the hospital, in a hospice facility or at home in need of the strengthening, peace and comfort of this Sacrament … I encourage you to call the parish when your loved one is able to consciously experience the power of this Sacrament. So often, parishioners call the parish at the very last moment before a loved one’s passing. This is certainly understandable, but when family members and their loved ones can share in this sacramental moment together, it can be an incredible source of spiritual comfort, healing and reconciliation. ” –Fr. Bernie Pietrzak